NASCAR veteran Jeff Gordon achieved a 214mph top speed at Tuesday’s tire test in Indianapolis.
A cool track, long straights, fresh tires, and cars with grip all contributed to some eye-wateringly fast speeds during the session with all drivers reportedly topping 200mph.
After Mark Martin mentioned on Twitter that he’d reached 212mph along the backstretch, Gordon asked his team about his own top speed. The answer surprised even him.
“They said 214 and I said, ‘My gosh, it really is fast,’” Gordon told The Associated Press .
Furthermore, Gordon was also told every car had surpassed 200mph. To put that in perspective, Denny Hamlin won 2012’s Brickyard 400 pole with a lap time of 182.3 mph. 41-year-old Gordon, who’s won all four of his Cup titles with Hendrick Motorsports, was quick to praise the new Gen-6 cars:
“Like so many other tracks, this car adapts well, it sticks really well to the track. I’m pretty happy today because I think it went well.”
The fast speeds recorded by the entire field seem to defy the warm summer months, which typically see a decrease in speeds. Pundits also consider the new Goodyear tire compounds, introduced in 2009, to be behind the improved performances.
“You want balance so the car enters the turn comfortably and that’s what we had,” reflected Gordon. “But it was definitely wearing a little more than we wanted it to.”
The same drivers will return to the track May 1 for a second closed practice session. Such trials allow drivers to gain valuable information before other drivers can take their new vehicles onto the track.